Sealfons returns to Summit, if only for the holiday

SUMMIT — Sealfons, which was the retail anchor store in downtown Summit for generations, has reopened in the same location with a Sealfons Men’s and Women’s Holiday Sale.

Sealfons is capitalizing on an unexpected vacancy in the family-owned property at the corner of Springfield Avenue and Maple Street, said merchant Eric Model, owner of the Sealfons offspring Seal & Co., a popular children’s boutique.

Model is bringing men’s and women’s sportswear, outerwear, and accessories, plus Christmas gifts, to the former Sealfons building. The corner space was vacated by a jewelry store tenant, leaving the owners with a prime location, next to Staples, and little time to find a new tenant for the important holiday season, Model said. He seized the opportunity to create a Sealfons Men’s and Women’s Holiday Sale, offering apparel, accessories, and gifts at 40% to 70% below traditional retail — and restoring the popular Sealfons name to a town the business was linked with for many prosperous years.

“Lots of our customers at Seal & Co. have asked about a Sealfons return to Summit,” said Model, a third-generation retailer whose grandparents founded the Sealfons chain of stores in 1953. “Due to an unexpected vacancy in our building, we reached out to our vendor community for fabulous new buys, and we figured, why not! We’re offering great merchandise at huge discounts at the right time of the year. And it’ll help draw extra interest downtown for the holiday season.”

The announcement comes just weeks after Common Council liberalized the allowable use of ground floor space within the Central Retail Business District (CRBD). A new ordinance was recommended by City Planner Kevin Kain and unanimously endorsed by the Planning Board. Among uses newly allowed are seasonal businesses, dance schools and studios, and health clubs. The changes were made to contribute to a more active street life, enhancing the environment for traditional retail shopping.